The central figure in Contra Costa's biggest police corruption scandal in years, saying therapy might have spared him from his current lot, has convinced a judge to let him take his story to TV therapist, "Dr. Phil."
Norman Wielsch, the beleaguered former commander of Contra Costa's drug task force now embroiled in a federal corruption probe, wants to share his story as a cautionary tale about how pride keeps troubled police officers from seeking psychological help, his attorney says.
Over the objections of prosecutors, a federal judge decided Thursday to allow Wielsch and attorney Michael Cardoza -- himself no stranger to the camera as a sought-after TV legal analyst -- to travel to Los Angeles for a Monday taping.
"He feels strongly about reaching out to other cops," Cardoza said of his client. "He wants to say, 'Don't get to the emotional point he did.' "
In a court filing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hartley West opposed Wielsch's trip to LA, saying it goes beyond the restrictions of Wielsch's bail, which allow him to travel for family and medical reasons.
The Dr. Phil appearance, she argued, is "an effort to appeal to the public and exploit his crimes (admittedly alleged at this point) for personal gain."
Cardoza said Wielsch suffered anxiety over his daughter's medical ailments and was battling neuropathic problems with his feet when he is alleged to have engaged in a series of activities that landed him in a wide-ranging corruption scandal.
Those activities, allegedly spanning 18 months and ending with the February 2011 arrests of Wielsch and co-defendant Christopher Butler, appear to have started with the trafficking of drugs confiscated in police seizures. They grew to include allegations of phony arrests and prostitution, all as Wielsch commanded the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team, or CNET.
Cardoza said the unpaid appearance with program namesake Dr. Phil McGraw will include no revelations about the federal case against Wielsch and alleged co-conspirator Butler, a former Concord-based private investigator and ex-cop.
"You will learn nothing new from us," Cardoza said.
Butler himself is a former guest of McGraw's, having appeared on the program to promote his onetime staff of "P.I. Moms," suburban mothers who moonlighted as private investigators under Butler's employ. The gimmick, once a prospective reality TV show project, was later debunked as involving paid role players with no authentic investigation taking place.
It was one of multiple scams associated with Butler. He and former Contra Costa Sheriff's Deputy Stephen Tanabe are also accused of orchestrating DUI arrests of men involved in divorce and custody battles with Butler's clients.
Last week, former San Ramon police officer Louis Lombardi became the first person to plead guilty in the federal corruption probe, admitting to stealing at least $40,000 in cash, as well as guns, jewelry and other property, while executing search warrants as a CNET team member working for Wielsch. Tanabe has so far been spared from federal charges.
Robert Salonga covers public safety. Contact him at 925-943-8013. Follow him at Twitter.com/robertsalonga .
Copyright 2012 Contra Costa NewspapersAll Rights Reserved
